Page 145 of Blood Stone

Chapter Thirty-One

Elizabeth had rented the entire restaurant, making the dinner a private party for three hundred guests. Most of the cast and crew for the movie were there, including Patrick Sauvage and the leads and other cast who had already hit their wrap dates.

The paparazzi had got wind of the event and were ambushing everyone as they walked in. But it was a minor irritation after the press gallery at the Kodiak Theatre and Kate walked past with a smile on her face and no comment, holding Roman and Garrett’s hands openly and with pride.

Elizabeth, clutching her Emmy, was glowing with pleasure as she greeted everyone at the door. She hugged Kate, Roman and Garrett fiercely and escorted them to a big round buffet table. “I saw your press gallery interview,” she whispered to Kate. “I’m so proud of your courage.” She let her eyes flicker toward Roman and Garrett as they pulled the table out for Kate. “AndI hate your guts. Two of them? Life just isn’t fair!” She sighed. “Enjoy the meal!” She hurried away, waving her Emmy statuette, the winged angel glinting in the overhead pot lights.

* * * * *

Surprisingly ravenous, Kate ate a lot of the pretty decent chicken meal that was served. Garrett and Roman amused her by cutting up everything on their plates and moving it around, then transferring pieces of it over to hers. By the time they were done, it looked as though they had eaten some of it, but it was hard to tell just how much.

“I guess you’ve had a while to figure out stuff like that,” she said, as they pushed their plates aside.

Garrett poured half his glass of champagne into the palm tree next to him, then topped up her glass with most of what was left. Roman pushed his glass aside. “That’s your second glass,” he said. Then he leaned on the table, his head on his hand. “You weren’t paying much attention to the awards, Kate.”

Garrett turned his head sharply to look at Roman. He glanced around the restaurant. It was noisy as only a private party could be, with table hopping, alcohol and creative types mixed and stirred. There was music playing, but it was utterly drowned by the ambient sound levels.

Garrett settled against the cushioned back of the buffet. Because of the curve, it meant he was looking at Kate, too.

She pushed her plate away, her appetite suddenly gone. “You noticed?”

“Hard to miss,” Roman assured her. “Humans might have missed it. But for us, it was dead easy to spot.”

“Spot?” she asked.

Garrett brushed a fine, loose lock of hair from her shoulder. “You were aroused, Kate. Your pulse was elevated, your temperature, too. And your eyes were dilated.”

“And you were breathing faster. Much faster. Although you were keeping it hidden.” Roman gave a little shrug. “Hidden from anyone but us.”

Kate gripped her glass, like a security blanket. “What’s with the ‘us’? You two have been at each other’s throat for weeks because of me. Now you’re suddenly using plural pronouns.”

“Jumping to the attack like that is a complete tell,” Roman replied. “And you’re avoiding my question.”

Garrett leaned close, so his lips were by her cheek. “Your heart is racing again.”

“And it just jumped,” Roman added.

“Goddam it,” Kate exploded. “It’s not fair you being able to hear everything!” She took a big gulp of her wine. “Just how good is your hearing, anyway?”

“No one has ever tested it.” Garrett shrugged as he leaned back again. “It’s probably different for all of us. And there’s smell, too. We’re hunters, Kate. All our senses are strong.”

She shivered and took another sip of her champagne. Then nearly choked on it as a hand stroked her knee.

She could tell by the length and size of the fingers and the shape of the hand – and simply by the way he was touching her, that it was Roman.

Garrett was the one who smiled, though. “Knee?”

“Mmm,” Roman agreed. “Just on the inside. Silky soft.”

“I’ve wanted to stoke there all night. Every time I’ve seen her walking towards me and flashing her knees,” Garrett said.

“Oh my god,” Kate breathed. She was abruptly back to the same fevered state she had been in at the theatre. But now it had little to do with Roman and Garrett’s former affair and everything to do with their cooperative seductionnow.

She could see exactly where this was heading. Now was the time to halt it. She had to say ‘stop’ now if she really wanted it to stop.

They were both looking at her, almost reading her mind. Roman’s hand was gently stroking. Not raising higher, not pressuring. Simply offering. This was up to her.

She couldn’t find her voice.